Newshawks: Cannabis Armageddon Hits Lasqueti Island

Friday, August 27, 2004

Audio Only – Residents of Lasqueti Island complain they’ve been harassed and intimidated by recent military-style RCMP drug raids. Police officers using Canadian Forces helicopters swooped down on the island last weekend in their search for marijuana grow-ops. More than 100 people packed a town hall meeting Wednesday night to denounce the police tactics – saying they had more to do with harassment than law enforcement. They don’t deny there are people growing marijuana on Lasqueti, but Chris Burchill says the RCMP tactics were like something out of a war zone.